The present invention relates to lighting systems and more particularly lighting systems used in signs.
The first luminous tubes did not employ neon or any of the other rare gases. From 1893 to 1910, the so-called Moore tubes were prominent in the larger cities, but these were filled with nitrogen and carbon dioxide, two common gases. These tubes had a very short life.
In 1910, George Claude introduced the first commercial neon sign, and from that time until the outbreak of the First World War he was busy bringing his discoveries to the point where they could be introduced on a large scale. By 1925, luminous tubes with neon began to rapidly replace the more common incandescent-lamp signs and public interest in the neon signs grew. The tubes may be made in near any shape and most commonly in the shape of letters or trademarks. Numerous small companies formed to supply the market with signs, since it was found that transportation of the tubes is costly and the most economical place of making the tubes was near the place of installation. Neon lighting is found in all countries of the world. In some locals, such as many South American cities, neon signs provide a second service, that of lighting the city streets.
In 2001, California, among other places, struggle with energy demands. Neon tends to require a transformer and high voltage. Neon signs are often cited as a cause of over consumption of electricity. Merchants are reluctant to turn the signs off as the signs are a source of new business. Governmental authorities are seeking new ways to reduce electricity consumption such that all with a need for the limited supply of energy can acquire the supply that they need.
Neon signs have long been known for becoming non-operable, which generally is a result of broken bulbs. Neon bulbs are formed in a glass stretching type of process, which can create weak spots in the tubing. Insertion of pressurized gas tests whether the tube is strong, but this test has room for improvement. The bulbs may break or leak when filled with neon, brought to the work site, installed or through jarring that may occur after being installed. Such tubes may burn out immediately or at anytime. Today, it is common to see neon signs with one letter or other portion burned out.
Replacing the bulb requires customized work that routinely takes several weeks to perform, during which additional bulbs may also burn out. This activity requires coordination of schedules of the custom manufacturer of the lights, trained installers, and merchant that needed the bulb replaced. The light manufacturer has the tools and skill to form the complex light tubes. Trained installers have the knowledge and ability to protect the new bulb from the point of manufacture through installation. The manufacturer and installer coordinate with the merchant to avoid disruption of customer flow through the merchant""s place of operation.
Several, less than satisfactory new lighting systems have recently developed to overcome the energy, cost, breakage and replacement problems. PERMLIGHT(trademark), 422 West Sixth Street, Tustin, Calif. 92780 developed the LED""R LIGHT(trademark), which uses interconnected LED light modules. A typical 18xe2x80x3 letter uses eighteen such modules; each interconnected with wire and connectors. When one connector fails, the entire letter goes out and substantial time and effort is needed to identify the interruption in the circuit. The modules are also of a size, shape and rigidity that make them difficult to install on curved surfaces and small strokes.
Hi*Tech Advanced Lighting Solutions, 13900 US Highway 19 North, Clearwater, Fla. 33764 has developed the IlumiLETTER channel letter lighting system. This system uses LED light modules that are mounted to wires via insulation displacement connectors, which are joined to a metal clip. The metal clip is joined to a surface with double sided tape. Problematically, the metal clip needs to be cut to various sizes for proper installation and a special tool is required for joining the modules to the wires. Insulation displacement connectors tend to corrode when used outside.
Supervision International, 8210 Presidents Drive, Orlando, Fla. 32809 developed EnVision LED Light bars. These rigid elongate bars come in a variety of lengths, which are joined to a surface with C-shaped mounting clips. The bars appear complex, at best, to use on curved areas such as the letter xe2x80x9cSxe2x80x9d of a sign. The bars are suspended in a channel that fills with water such that the water when frozen displaces the bar from the channel. DurLed Lighting Technologies Corporation, 15273 Alton Parkway, Suite 200, Irvine, Calif. 92618, SloanLED of Ventura Calif., and European Sign Systems, Lindauhohe 26, D-45259 Essen, Germany, all disclose light bars with function and problems similar to that described above.
SuperVision International, 8210 Presidents Drive, Orlando, Fla. 32809, has also developed FLEX-LED""s(trademark). This product has LED lights mounted on a strip with limited flexibility, e.g. bending radius of at least 1.5 inches, and a high volume of LEDs approximately 24-32 per foot.
What is needed is an energy efficient lighting system mountable to a variety of surfaces without the need for skilled technicians or special tools. The system should include LED or similar lights mounted on a bendable, foldable or creasable strip, but the system should remain durable such that frequent vibration does not injure the system. The lights should be removable for relamping. When a fault occurs, the system should indicate the location of the short and not require removal of the entire system for repair. Light should be cast with uniform light dispersion and the light color should be easily changed. The system should also be easy to install.
In one embodiment, the light system of the present invention includes a power source is coupled to a wire harness, which in turn is coupled to a flexible conductor. The flexible conductor strip defines solder pad openings. The flexible conductor strip may be coupled to a channel sign. The flexible conductor strip is sufficiently flexible to be foldable and creasable. A socket preferably is mounted to the flexible conductor strip. Such socket includes pin receptacles in electrical contact with the flexible conductor strip through the solder pad openings. A light with conductive pins may be disposed in the pin receptacles.
In use, a method of installing lights is provided with the steps of mounting a flexible conductor strip to a structure, supplying power to the flexible conductor strip, electrically connecting lights to the flexible conductor strip to power the lights and exchanging burned out lights with operable lights without removing the flexible conductor strip.
Advantageously, the present invention provides a flexible, relampable, durable, vibration resistant, shock resistant, non-corrosive, water resistant energy efficient sign lighting system.
As an added advantage the system allows customizing the length of the flexible conductor strip via cutting to length with a scissors.
Further, the lighting system provides an easy to install sign lighting system for backlighting of commercial and residential purposes, allowing use in situations where fire hazardous signs (e.g., neon) are not allowed, it situations where energy efficiency is required, in situations where space is too small for different lighting systems such as neon or flourescent, in situations where the sign is the subject of frequent vibrations, in situations where the sign manufacturer does not own expensive neon equipment and in situations where electricity, preferably 110 volt, is not available, since the low level of needed power can be provided with photovoltaic cells, e.g. solar panels.
Yet another advantage of this invention is the relampability and interchangeability between low voltage high brightness vacuum, light-emitting diode (LED) light sources or different suitable light sources.
Still another advantage includes providing a flexible conductor strip with a bending radius of 0.05 inch or less, allowing proper light orientation through tortuous turns found in many signs.
Another advantage is the provision of an adhesive layer on the flexible conductor strip, allowing for easy installation.
Still another advantage is the ease of maintainance due to relampability of the lighting system and automatic detection and identification of shorts, defects and burned out light sources.
Still another advantage of the present invention is the diffusion of typically directional or non-uniform lighting using a white or colored silicon rubber boot to provide uniform, wide angle diffused illumination.
Advantageously, the system provides for increasing or decreasing illumination via adding or removing light sources.
And yet another advantage is provision of a low voltage power source that consumes significantly less energy than prior systems.
Advantages also include interchangeability of different types of lights and different colored boots with a single flexible conductor strip.
Other advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these advantages are within the scope of the present invention. To the accomplishment of the above advantages, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, attention is called to the fact that the drawings are illustrative only and that changes may be made in form and substance without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.